Perfect Pairings

Pour a cold one, toast the environment

All of the beers we chose for this story come from Colorado breweries committed to protecting the environment.

Boulder Beer, the oldest craft brewer in Colorado, has an impressive list of green initiatives. Among them: insulated fermentation tanks to save energy, support of local green charities and a strong recycling program.
Gone are the days when beer was just the yellow fizzy stuff football fans drank while they munched hot wings and cheered on their teams. Today, beer has an air of sophistication, thanks to craft brewers’ commitment to creating flavorful recipes and chefs’ interest in marrying these brews with food.

“There’s a whole sophisticated culture of food that’s meant to go with artisan beer,” says John Broening, executive chef at Denver’s Duo Restaurant, known for its inspired beer dinners. Though he says there are no hard-and-fast rules to these pairings, Broening gave us his take on how to serve a few of our favorite Colorado brews with food.

Pour a cold one, toast the environment

All of the beers we chose for this story come from Colorado breweries committed to protecting the environment.

Boulder Beer, the oldest craft brewer in Colorado, has an impressive list of green initiatives. Among them: insulated fermentation tanks to save energy, support of local green charities and a strong recycling program.

Odell Brewing Co. in Ft. Collins uses biodiesel fuel in its trucks, an alternative to petroleum diesel that reduces carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 78 percent. The brewery also staggers production to use energy during non-peak hours and has an impressive recycling program.

Great Divide Brewing Co. in Denver gets all of its electricity from wind power and uses a computer-controlled cooling system that draws in outside air to chill the beer.

New Belgium Brewing Co. in Ft. Collins was the first brewery in the nation to purchase 100 percent of its electricity from wind power. The company’s eco-initiatives—too numerous to list—include an extensive recycling program, a commitment to buy local products and an on-site wastewater treatment facility.

Click here to read more about Colorado beers.